Regretful Parting
by VampireGoddess12Xx
Summary: Fenris can't bear to fight for the mages but he can't fight against Hawke either. Instead, he leaves. Things happen that no one could have foretold. Takes place after the campaign. F!MageHawkexFenris. M for possible smut in later chapters.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Fenris growled; he could not believe it. Hawke was siding with the mages. Vaguely he could hear Hawke's explanation that she wasn't choosing the mages or the Templars, she was simply not choosing unnecessary killings. It didn't matter though; he was already blinded by hatred and rage.

He was a fool to think she would ever choose him. After all, she was a mage - she would always side with mages. Still, after everything they had gone through and come out of, after he apologized and they had talked about that night...

He remembered it clearly, "If there is a future to be had, I will walk into it gladly at your side."

But no, he couldn't do this. He couldn't fight for the lives of those who he detested more than anything. He could not fight for mages. Somewhere, a small voice in his mind whispered to him, "except Hawke" but he wasn't listening.

"I… I cannot do this." Fenris ground out while clenching his fists, once he recovered from his shock and betrayal.

He turned and ran. He ignored Hawke's calls of his name. He didn't look back.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: This chapter contains snippets of the happenings that take place with Hawke and company after Fenris leaves but before the main events of the story. It's more of an informational chapter for the rest of the story. Also, I will only refer to Hawke as "Hawke" because I know that many people named their own character and if they're anything like me, they find it a little annoying to read about a Hawke of a different name other than theirs or the prename. Also so that you might be able to imagine your own version of Hawke.**

…

Hawke looked around her. She was surrounded by death and destruction. Anders was dead, Meredith was dead, Orsino was dead. She had saved many of the mages from certain death but at what cost? Her friends surrounded her, everyone safe, a little beat up, but safe nonetheless. Everyone that she cared about was there, except Fenris.

Aveline placed a hand on Hawke's shoulder and gave her a meant-to-be-comforting squeeze. "Hawke…" She said quietly.

Hawke placed her hand over Aveline's and willed herself not to cry. She had been strong through the entire battle, tucking her pain from his desertion away to be dealt with later. Now all she wanted to do was fall apart, but not here, not in front of her friends. She had to be strong still, at least for them.

"It's okay to hurt lethallan; we are here to be strong for you as you have always been for all of us." Merrill said in the sweet and innocent way she always had about her.

Hawke gave a small, thankful smile before she turned away from them, raised her face to the sky, and allowed the tears to fall.

…

It was a about month after the final battle, and Kirkwall was beginning to get back to its old ways. There was still rebuilding that needed to be done but the people were starting to get on with their lives. Fenris had not returned. Once more, Hawke's heart was broken.

The fear of the circle mages had lessened when they gave their help in rebuilding the city and healing the injured. Most mages understood why they must be watched and simply wanted to be ruled fairly. Knight-Captain Cullen had stepped up as Knight-Commander with the promise to rule them more fairly and kindly, which effectively quieted any talk of rebellion. In Kirkwall anyway.

…

Hawke sat at the side of her bed, she was facing the just barely burning fireplace and her legs were parted slightly; on the floor, between her feet, sat her chamber pot. She tried to fight the oncoming bought of nausea but this was one battle she could not win. With a cough, her body emptied what little contents it had into the small pot.

A soft knock sounded from the door causing her to look up. She wiped her mouth with a handkerchief before calling out, "come in." She watched as a small blonde elf walked in.

Orana entered. She was visibly nervous. Despite having been with Hawke for several years, she had not yet overcome her fears, at least completely. It was true, she was happier but the nervousness and fear that resulted from her previous life as a slave had not completely dissipated.

"Messere, forgive me for intruding upon your privacy but…" She said trailing off.

"What is it Orana?" Hawke asked wearily.

"Well, it's just that… I've noticed from your laundry that you have not had… Well… your monthly blood in at least two months." She said quietly.

Hawke was silent for a moment. She hadn't noticed during all the excitement of everything that had been going on.

"And well, you've also been ill in the mornings…" Orana quietly and nervously added.

It was at that moment that Hawke realized that she was not in fact sick. She was with child. She stared at Orana for a moment as her eyes began to fill with bittersweet tears. With a heave she bent over her chamber pot again, and then began to sob.

Orana hurried over to her mistress. She wrapped her arms around her comfortingly, "oh Hawke!" She said as she held the heartbroken woman.

It was not long before Hawke's cries quieted. She always was so strong. Although she didn't speak for a while after her sobs had stopped, not knowing what to say. As if saying it out loud would make the situation all the more real. It _was_ real.

Orana kept rubbing her back in comforting motions despite the fact that Hawke had stopped crying. She knew her mistress was hurting and her heart ached for her. Such a kind woman did not deserve all the things that had befallen her. How could the Maker be so cruel?

After a long while, Hawke finally spoke. She raised her head and looked at Orana with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, wet with the remaining tears, "you just called me Hawke."

…

Hawke sighed as she entered the Hanged Man. All of her friends had gathered there in an attempt to cheer her up. She was grateful for their attempts, but her heart was too heavy.

She approached Isabela who was taking a rather large drink, "Isabela."

The pirate eyed her for a moment before putting her drink down. From Hawke's tone and stance she was fairly certain something was up. "Hawke…" She replied slightly warily.

"I understand you've recently acquired a ship," Hawke said, watching her reaction.

"I have. Aveline gave it to me. Used to belong to some smuggler her guards busted. I haven't a crew or anything and it ain't quite fit to sail yet but all that matters is that I have a ship!" She said, her last words coming out a little more excitedly than she meant them to. "And it's all thanks to man-hands over there!"

Aveline glared at her and grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "ungrateful whore."

Isabela let out a laugh but gave her a thankful smile. "Why do you ask Hawke? Afraid I'll leave without saying goodbye?"

Hawke gave a small laugh before she returned to a serious look. "I would like to secure passage on your ship Isabela. I wish to leave Kirkwall."

The table erupted into shocked gasps and questions. But Hawke merely shook her head at them. "I have lost too much because of this city… I do not wish to raise my child in place where everywhere I look I see my loss and sadness."

The table was quiet as everyone took in her words. A few opened their mouths to try and find the words to convince her otherwise but she continued speaking before anyone could utter a word.

"I came here to protect my family from the blight, but in the years that I have lived here I have lost them. In this city I found the only man I ever loved, the only man I will ever love, and for this city I lost him. I'm sorry, but there is nothing you can say to convince me to stay." Her eyes turned to Isabela "And Isabela, even if you choose to deny me passage in an attempt to keep me here… I will only find an alternative way."

Everyone around the table stared at Hawke, speechless and disbelieving. Not quite knowing what to say.

It was Merrill who spoke up first, "But where will you go?"

Hawke sighed and turned her head away, staring into space. "I don't know. I hope only to find a place where I may know peace and contentment to raise my child."

Varric, who had been quiet throughout the whole conversation, finally spoke up. "We understand your decision Hawke, and we respect it. We only want your happiness."

Aveline looked at him as if he had grown another head. He had been with Hawke for almost as long as she had. The thought of losing her friend, no, her sister was heart wrenching. Certainly he must feel similarly?

"I'll go with you." She said her voice full of the authority it always carried and a determination to remain by Hawke's side.

Hawke looked at Aveline with a sad smile, "Aveline, you can't. You have Donnic here. And the guard needs you. It's clear the Maker meant your place to be here."

"But Hawke…" Aveline started, disbelief evident in her eyes.

"But nothing Aveline, I think… I was meant to come here, to meet and grow close to all of you. But I don't think I was ever meant to stay."

After a moment Aveline nodded her head although her heart was heavy. She stood and walked over to her dear friend. In a rare show of affection for the normally restrained guardswoman, she enveloped her friend in a strong hug. "Then I bid you, find happiness."

"Ahem!" Isabela interrupted, "If this is truly what you wish Hawke, then you are welcome on my ship. But it'll be about a month before it is ready to sail anywhere."

Stepping back from each other, they both sat down at the table. Varric signaled the barmaid for another round of drinks. The table erupted into talk, laughs, stories and memories. They knew someday they'd have to part. But for now, they were together and that was more than reason enough to celebrate.

…

Approaching footsteps caused the small elf – who was sitting at the docks, kicking her feet in the water – to look up.

"Here again Daisy? It's been just over a month." Varric said as he got closer.

Merrill sighed as she looked over at the dwarf, "I know Varric, I just… miss her."

Varric sat down next to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He gave her a small smile. "I know you do. We all do. But Hawke was right; she was meant to come but not meant to stay."

Merrill nodded; she did understand Hawke's decision to leave. But the sadness did not leave, she missed her dear friend. Hawke had stood by her side when her clan would not, had protected and defended her. And even though Hawke did not support her use of blood magic, she had never been cruel to her for it. Hawke held a special place in her heart.

…

Aveline sat in her office. The paperwork she had been trying to work on lay undone. She had read line after line and papers over and over again, but her mind was preoccupied and nothing stuck. With an aggravated sigh, she set the paper she was reading down. She just could not concentrate on them. Hawke had left months ago but her heart was still heavy.

She had come here with Hawke, Leandra and Carver. And now they were all gone. It was true, she had Donnic here and the Guard did need her. There was even talk of her taking the Viscount's place but still she felt as though there was something missing. And there was something missing, Hawke.

For a while she blamed Fenris for Hawke's decision to leave. If he had not had left Hawke like he did… If he had not broken her heart once again… There were so many what-ifs, but Aveline was almost certain that Hawke would have chosen to leave even if he had stayed. However, if Fenris had stayed, she knew Hawke would have at least had someone by her side. For Hawke's sadness and loneliness, Aveline would blame him.

And if she ever found that Hawke or her child had come to any harm, she would hunt that elf down and make him pay. Hawke was her sister.

A knock on the door pulled Aveline from her thoughts. She uttered a short "come in" and watched as Donnic appeared before her.

"A letter came for you," He said. "It's from Isabela."

After Donnic handed her the letter, she eagerly tore into it. She was nearly afraid of reading the contents of the letter. She was afraid of what they might say, afraid that the letter had come from Isabela and not Hawke.

_Aveline,_

_I thought it would interest you to know that Hawke has left my company. We docked in Orlais, where she told me she would continue on alone save for Orana. She didn't tell me where she was going; I don't think she even knew. I truly did try to convince her to stay but you know Hawke, strong willed and stubborn. _

_Her pregnancy was showing quite a bit more than usual for being only around five to six months. She thinks it might be twins, says they run in her family, and that concerned me. One child is hard enough alone, but two? She does have Orana though, and we can thank the Maker for that._

_Tell the others and send Kitten my love. If you find out anything else, do send a letter._

_-Isabela. _

…

Hawke sat in the back of a caravan, beside Orana. A kind dwarven merchant, Sam, had offered them a ride, seeing her pregnant state wandering down the road. She was a little reluctant to accept his aid as she had always been the one helping others. But he seemed nice enough and her feet and back really did ache.

She placed her hand over her very swollen belly. _Twins_ she thought. Her heart still ached greatly. The thought of raising twins alone, well not entirely alone, but fatherless, broke her heart all over again. She knew what the consequences of their quite frequent meetings could be, but she hadn't prepared to do it alone.

"Hawke?" Orana asked quietly, still not used to referring to her as someone of equal status.

"Hmm?" Came her response.

"Are you okay? Are you in pain?" She questioned, worry painting her voice in an obvious manner.

Hawke gave her a reassuring smile, "I'm as fine as I can be Orana. Thank you for asking," she paused a moment before adding, "and thanking for staying beside me."

Orana blushed and smiled, "You're… my family."

Hawke nodded her head, grateful to have the young elf. "And you are mine."

Their moment was interrupted when the caravan came to sudden and violent stop. Orana fell forward slightly before she was able to catch herself and Hawke stilled herself as best as she could. The horse that led the caravan let out a sound of shock and fear.

"Sodding bandits!" She heard Sam yell.

Immediately Hawke grabbed her staff. She struggled to pull herself out of the caravan. It was difficult due to the size of her pregnant belly. She bid Orana to stay inside.

The caravan was surrounded by half a dozen bandits. Easy to handle she thought. She just needed to take them out in one attack; they would be no match for her tempest. She spied the merchant trying to fight them off in the front while some snuck around the back to get a hold of the goods. She called as much power and energy as she could without fatiguing herself and hurting her unborn children, and released the tempest.

Dark clouds drew over the caravan and strikes of lightning came down, violently hitting the bandits. Some fell to the ground almost immediately due to the attack but the few that didn't were easily taken care of by Sam. Stunned by the shocks, he stabbed them with a small a dagger.

"I knew that was more than just a walking stick!" He exclaimed as he turned to Hawke.

Hawke ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I'm sorry for having lied to you."

Sam snorted, "don't bother me if you're a mage, but now I have an idea of where to take ya!"

Hawke took a defensive stance and eyed the dwarf warily.

"Woah now, I'm not going to turn you in." Hawke relaxed a little, but still remained on the defensive. "There's a small village," he said, his voice quiet. "It was settled by a group of apostate mages many, many years ago. The mages have since died and though the talent has also died out, the people haven't forgotten them. They know that not all mages fall to blood magic and demons, not all mages are bad."

Hawke seemed skeptical. "I've never heard of town like that."

He gave a hearty laugh before responding, "Of course you haven't! It's a **very** carefully guarded secret. Th'only reason I know is because I've been supplying the village."

Hawke thought about what Sam had said. If it was true it very well could be the place she was searching for. But could the merchant be trusted? He had been kind even when he suspected her of being a mage. He didn't seem like he was lying. After thinking about it for a long moment, Hawke decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. She was certain that she would know if he was planning to betray her on the way.

Slowly, Hawke nodded her head, "Alright." She said.

…

It was nearly a week before they reached the village. When Sam had said it was small, he was right. Hawke estimated there were just over a dozen houses. She hadn't known what to expect but what met her eyes blew her away. It was beautiful. The village was settled near a small lake fed by a stream. It was surrounded on all sides by forest, which Hawke suspected was a large reason it had laid undetected for so long. The atmosphere was peaceful and calm and the people seemed content living their lives secluded from the rest of the world. Hawke could see herself living out her life and raising her children there.

Sam explained to the villagers, who seemed to put a lot of trust in him, that Hawke was an apostate mage simply looking for a place to settle and raise her family.

When the villagers questioned her, Hawke felt as though she didn't need to lie to them. "I was the Champion of Kirkwall; I fought for the lives of the circle mages there when the Knight-Commander went insane. I lived there for a long time, but during that time I lost… a lot… and I just couldn't bear to raise my children there."

The villagers accepted her story and even nodded in understanding. They told her she was more than welcome to stay there as long as she too kept the location of their village a secret. She could come and go as she pleased, so long as she never revealed the secret.

They gave her an old house nearest to the lake, it was the house of the last mage that resided in the village but had passed. Giving her time to settle in and rest, the villagers dispersed to go on with their daily routine. But one woman held back.

"Excuse me, Serah Hawke." The small woman said. "My oldest child; has recently started showing a talent for magic. She's the first our village has seen in quite a while and well… no one here can train her…"

Hawke, knowing what the woman was getting at gave her a small smile, "I will train her."

The woman's face quickly lit up, "Oh thank you so much!" She exclaimed "I was so worried about what would happen to her!"

The woman gave Hawke a quick hug before she went off. Hawke then turned to Sam, who had stayed back at her request.

"Sam," she said, "I know it's a lot to ask after all you've done for us but… I was wondering if maybe, once and awhile you could take some letters back and forth for me, to my friends in Kirkwall."

Sam smiled, "Sure thing, it's no trouble. I often go through there."

Hawke thanked him and stepped inside her new home. The house, though small, was two stories. Downstairs there was a sitting room and the kitchen as well as a small washroom. While the upstairs contained two bed rooms and a small library.

Orana was already looking around the small but pleasant house so Hawke decided to join her. When she caught up with Orana she found her in, what she assumed was the master bedroom, dusting and cleaning.

"Orana, you're not a servant anymore." Hawke said.

The blonde elf turned around and looked at Hawke, "Oh I know," she said, "I just wanted to give you a place to lie down. I know that you must be tired."

Hawke smiled. "Thank you very much Orana."

Just then a knock resounded throughout the house, "I'll get it, you just rest." Orana said.

"Are you sure?" Hawke replied, sitting down.

"I'm positive." Orana said with a smile.

When Orana answered the door she found the small woman that had spoken to Hawke. She was standing there with a basket.

"I didn't know how to repay Hawke for her kindness." The woman said. "Then I thought you might need some food since I'm sure this old house doesn't have any."

Orana accepted the basket with a smile and a thank you. She took the basket into the kitchen and set it down on a counter and went through its contents. Spying some meat and vegetables, she decided to make a stew for dinner. Noticing that the evening was rolling in, she got started on cutting some carrots. Orana smiled to herself, she liked the little village. She only hoped that Hawke would find the happiness she deserved.

…

**So what do you guys think? Let me know in a review! I hope you liked it. **


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! I realized in my last chapter that the periods I was using as a divider for parts of the story didn't quite show up that well. So this time I'll be using these: ~**

**Also, this chapter will focus on Fenris. I hope you like! Read and Review!**

Fenris grunted as he pulled his sword out of the abdomen of a man. The person, well… body now, sagged forward and Fenris stepped away as it sank to ground with an audible thud. Blood seeped from the body and puddled on the ground. Fenris was careful to avoid the still warm blood as he looted the body for money or anything valuable.

It had been just over two years since he had left Hawke's company and oh had he regretted every moment of it. At first he was angry at her, beyond angry even. He resented Hawke for choosing the mages. But as the days progressed into weeks and weeks into months, and as he started to really think about her decision, his feelings began to change.

He knew what a life that lacked freedom was like. He remembered how he felt when he remembered his life before the markings; when he remembered his family. And he remembered how it felt when those memories slipped from his grasp; it felt as though he was losing them again. He could only imagine what it must be like to be a child ripped from his home and forced to the circle. Meredith had called for the Right of Annulment, all those innocent mages; those innocent people would have been killed. Maybe he always knew deep inside what was right, but he was just too full of hate. Hawke knew though, and she always did what was right.

When he first left, he wandered around the Free Marches. He didn't have any family, his only friends were back in Kirkwall with Hawke and above all he had nowhere to go. After some months he found himself in Ferelden, it really did smell like dogs. There, he worked as a hired sword. However, the morals and values he picked up from following Hawke for so long still stuck with him. He never took a job that just seemed wrong. Did he break the law? Yes, of course. But only for those who had justifiable reasons. Never again would he kill without reason. He was not that kind of man anymore. Hawke had changed him… for the better.

The man he had just killed had been a nobleman in Denerim. The man, Erik Thrall, had anything but noble intentions. He had been accused multiple times of the rape and murder of young elven girls. However, he had never been arrested because of his noble status. It made Fenris sick to think about.

Erik had begged for his life when Fenris approached him in the alleyway. Fenris had followed the sick man as he stalked a young girl. When the bastard got close to her, Fenris made his move. It was obvious the noblemen had little strength, which was probably the reason he preyed on young women. He offered Fenris everything from money to power and status in exchange for his life and was close to crying as he begged but Fenris would have none of it. This man did not deserve to live.

After disposing of the body, Fenris met with the men who hired him to report his success. He had been hired by three men from the Alienage, all of whom had daughters who had been victimized. The fathers had put as much money together as they could to hire him.

"I have finished the job." He said as he approached the three in the dark alleyway.

"Oh, thank the Maker!" One father cried out, "Thank you so much ser!"

Another father nodded his head and held out a small pouch full of coins for payment.

Fenris shook his head slightly and held his hand up, "No need, I was happy to help remove the vile man." He spit with distaste.

The men looked at him in surprise, "thank you! Thank you so much ser! You are the kindest man in Ferelden. Thank you." One man nearly cried.

Fenris nodded his head and turned away. He headed away from the alley and disappeared from the sight of the men, as if he had never been there at all. Quickly, the men divided out their coins and then returned to their homes. They may never have their daughters again, but they could rest easier knowing that they were avenged and that no one else would fall to the same fate.

Fenris returned to his small house on the outskirts of the city. It was a tiny one room house with a small woodstove. He had a small bed and one chair with a book laid upon it that sat near the woodstove. Beside the bed was a small bed side table with an unlit candle and another book, the last book he and Hawke had read together. Opposite the wall the bed rested against was one single window. On the wall were few shelves with various items on them including several more candles.

He walked into the house and lit a few candles for light. It did not take much to light the small house. Walking over to the lone chair, Fenris picked up the book and moved it to a shelf before sitting down. He pulled out his sword, Blade of Mercy, and began to clean it. Even though he had left Hawke, he had not been able to part with the sword she had given him. He had found other swords that he could have wielded had he chosen to but none of them felt right in his hands.

With a sigh, Fenris leaned his sword against the wall. He walked over to his bed and sat down on the side. His elbows rested on his legs and he just sat there for a moment. It was impossible to deny: Fenris was not happy. He had not been happy since he had left; all he felt was now was regret. With another sigh, this one full of emotional weariness, he laid down on the bed. A single tear slipped down his cheek as he fell into a restless sleep.

Several hours later Fenris was jolted awake. A darkened figure had crashed through the door into the tiny house. Immediately Fenris had his hand on his sword and his tattoos had begun to glow whitish-blue. The intruder turned towards him suddenly and looked completely and utterly surprised. Backing against the wall, the person began to stutter as Fenris stood up from his bed, his sword in hand.

"I… I… I thought this house was empty. I-I'm so sorry. Please don't kill me, please!" She begged.

Fenris was taken back for a moment. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the poor light he could make out the intruders features. A woman, he noted, and in her arms was a small bundle. Fenris was not sure what was in her arms but he was fairly certain the woman before him could not hurt a fly, let alone him. As if to answer his curiosity, the bundle let out a small cry. He realized, then, the woman was carrying an infant. After a moment of silence the woman began to cough which brought his attention back to her.

"Why have you burst into my home at such a late hour?" Fenris asked carefully.

The woman gulped audibly, "I… I'm running from a…Templar." She said quietly, fear evident in her voice.

Fenris narrowed his eyes, "you are a mage." He said as more of a statement than a question.

The woman nodded her head slowly, "relations between Templars and mages in the circles are a lot more common than most realize." She said carefully. "But a child must never result…"

"You became pregnant." Fenris stated.

"Yes, and I knew that if they did not kill me they would certainly kill the child if only to destroy evidence of a relationship." The woman replied and she looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms. "I knew I had to escape if only for my child…"

"How far behind you does the Templar follow?" Fenris asked.

"He is perhaps a day behind…" The woman replied with a cough. "I only meant to stop for a few hours. I thought this house was vacant." She explained, her voice still holding the tint of fear.

Fenris finally released his hold on his sword. He truly could not believe he was about to do this but… "You may stay here for the night but you must leave in the morning."

A look of shock crossed the woman's face, "thank you ser." She said as another bought of coughs shook her body.

Fenris gave the woman and child his bed and sat in his lone chair. He felt a pang in his heart. Here he was letting a mage stay in his house, in his **bed** (given it was only for a few hours), but he couldn't even stay by Hawke's side. He was truly disgusted with his self. It wasn't because of the mage in his bed, no, it was because he had let his hatred pull him from the only person who truly cared for him; the only person he truly cared for.

He sat in the chair staring into the embers of the woodstove for the remainder of the night. For the most part he just sat there and thought. He thought about his life as a slave and he thought about his life after he escaped - before he met Hawke. He thought about when he met Hawke and the life he had when he followed her, faithfully. Then he thought about when he had left her and how his life had been since.

He was a liar; he didn't follow her faithfully, at least not completely. He knew if he had truly followed her faithfully he would still be by her side. A few times that night the coughing of the woman would startle him from his thoughts but he always returned to them after she quieted. Eventually she stopped coughing at all.

As the sun came up and the world began to wake Fenris made his final decision. He would return to Kirkwall and speak with Hawke. He was certain she would not forgive him or take him back this time but he decided she needed to know how he felt. He decided that she needed to know that he was honestly sorry, and that she had changed him for the better.

He stood from his chair and walked toward the bed. The woman had not woken and Fenris had made it clear that we not welcome after the night had passed. Not only that but he was certain she would wish to continue her escape from her pursuer. When he reached the bed he placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, intending to shake her awake. He was surprised to find her strangely cold. Fenris pulled his hand back and stared down at her. Sometime in the night when he had been consumed in his thoughts the woman had died. He assumed that her escape with the child had weakened her and from her coughs he knew she had fallen ill. Perhaps it was a simple illness that she might have recovered from had she not been weakened by her flight.

Fenris turned his attention from the chilled body of the woman to the wrapped bundle beside her. He moved the blanket away to see the infant's face and to check if the child too had perished in the night. When he moved the blanket, he felt the warm tickle of breath that let him know the infant was still alive. Awkwardly, he lifted it up and out of the blanket to inspect it. The child was dressed in rags and had a small tuff of dark red hair and deep blue eyes. It was no more than 7 months old, he was fairly certain (although he knew very little about children). The woman must have been running for a while.

His lyrium tattoos tickled strangely as he held the baby and he knew in that instant that the child was a mage. It couldn't be said when the child would first exhibit the magic but Fenris knew it was there. He sighed as he stared into its little eyes; the Maker sure had a sick sense of humor.

Fenris was uncertain what to do. He knew what would happen if he took the child to the Chantry. Eventually they would discover it was a mage and it would be sent to the circle. There was a time when Fenris would have had no problem with that but he felt different now and he had heard that circle mages nearly everywhere were beginning to rebel. The child may just be killed at the very first appearance of its magic. Then the woman's sacrifice would have all been for naught. Fenris wasn't sure if it was because of the time he had spent with Hawke or for some other reason but he felt that taking the child to the Chantry was just not right.

Still, he knew next to nothing about children let alone infants. Just then the child let out a loud cry. Fenris quickly held it away from him, startled. He stared at the crying child, completely unsure of what to do. A look of panic crossed his face. What was he supposed to do? He tried to hush the child with soft shushes, he tried gently bouncing and rocking the child as he often saw women in the market do, but nothing quieted the distressed infant.

He made up his mind quickly - he was not going to stay here. He laid the crying child on the end of the bed, away from its dead mother. He pulled a backpack out from under the bed and began to fill it with the things he deemed important or necessary. The child continued to cry as he rushed around to gather his things. He grabbed his sword and pulled is backpack over his shoulders before wrapping the baby as best as he could in a blanket. As he stood in the doorway of what had been his house, his mind made up, he knocked over a lit candle.

The small house was engulfed in flames quickly. It would burn to the ground and take the body with it. Fenris regretted never having asked the woman's name but he silently prayed that the Maker would take her soul to his side. She had succeeded in escaping her Templar pursuer and hopefully, Fenris thought, she had saved her child as well. He turned from the burning house and made his way towards the city. The baby had cried itself into a slumber by now and Fenris hoped to find someone to help him before it woke.

There was one woman that Fenris thought may be able to help him. He made his way towards the brothel in Denerim. There was a woman, Elise, who had hired him to kill a man once. She had once been a woman of status, a well-known seamstress. A man, angered by her refusal to marry him, had accused her of being a mage and when it was proved that she had no magic talent, had broken into her house with the intent of killing her. He had beaten her incredibly badly before leaving her in a bloodied pulp to suffer and die. She managed to crawl from her home to the street where she was found by a merchant passing by. She had recovered from the attack almost completely other than the fact that it had left her blind. With no living family to take care of her now and her blindness impairing her ability as a tailor, she was reduced to the life of a beggar before the brothel owner offered her a job there. There, she didn't need to see and maybe it was better that she didn't - she would often tell him.

After he had killed the mean he had retained a friendship with Elise. He had often confided in her his feelings and thoughts. He had never slept with her, nor did he hold any romantic feelings for her but something about her made him feel like he could talk to her. She was the only person who he had ever told his past to besides Hawke.

Although Elise did not have children of her Fenris often walked her to the chantry on her rest days to be with the orphaned children that were taken care of there. He would walk her there at the first bell of the afternoon and he would walk her back to brothel at the fifth bell. He rarely stayed.

Fenris threw open the door to the brothel and strode inside the front room. Men and women were sitting around tables with drinks from the small bar. He assumed they were either waiting for their appointments or resting after it. Although he had not lain with anyone, the brothel's interior was not unfamiliar to him. He knew that Elise was most likely in her room and he knew where he could find it.

His strides were long and quick as he advanced towards the hallway Elise's room was down. The shouts from the owner fell on deaf ear as he continued - he did not even pause to acknowledge her words. The baby had been woken by the shouts and was now wailing loudly. With a swift kick, the door to Elise's' room flung open, banging against the wall. Startled, Elise shot up and away from her appointment. Fenris glared at the man, had he not been holding the child he would have thrown the man out of the room.

"Get out!" He growled angrily as his tattoos flared and glowed briefly.

The man, frightened by Fenris' display, grabbed his clothes and darted quickly from the room. Elise, who had fallen off the bed in her startled state, stood up with an annoyed expression. She looked in the direction of the door, though her eyes were unseeing.

"Fenris?" She called out.

Before he could respond the baby let another loud cry.

"A baby?" She asked visibly shocked.

Fenris closed the door the man had left open in his hurry to get away and walked slowly over to Elise. If she could have seen his face she would have seen the helpless expression of a man with absolutely no idea what he was doing.

"I need help." Fenris finally said as the baby continued to cry.

Elise gave a small smile, "I can see that. Where did you find that baby?" she asked carefully - knowing his line of work.

Fenris found himself suddenly nervous, unsure how to explain. "I… the mother, she found me but… she is dead now."

Elise was quiet for a moment. "Why don't you just take the baby to the Chantry then? If it's orphan," she said as she held out her hands for the crying baby.

Fenris placed the small child in her arms and sat on the bed. "It's…a mage." He said quietly.

"It? You don't know the gender?" Elise asked.

Fenris shook his head before remembering that she could not see him, "No."

Holding out the baby who's cried had quieted to small whimpers, Elise replied, "well, check."

Fenris was taken back at first, "check?" He asked.

Elise nodded her head, again holding the baby out. Fenris took the child, feeling very unsure of his elf. He felt slightly perverted to be looking at a child that was not his own in that way. Slowly, he unwrapped the blanket, using his pointer he pulled the cloth diaper away just enough to glance down.

"It is a girl." He said

Elise nodded, "so you don't want to take her to the chantry because she's a mage. Considering your hatred for mages, I would think you'd want to be rid of her."

Fenris glared slightly, annoyed that she knew him that well. "I… I have changed." He said carefully.

A smile crossed her face, "Your Hawke, even after all this time she still changes you."

Choosing not respond to that, Fenris went on, "I don't know what to do."

"Well she doesn't smell soiled," Elise said, "she's probably hungry."

"What should I feed her?" Fenris asked.

Elise held her hands out for the child again. When Fenris passed the baby to her, she held her up as if she could see her. She ran her hand over the length of the baby then held her up again to judge the weight.

"Well, she seems a little underweight but judging by her length I'd say she's in her sixth month."

Impatiently, Fenris asked, "What does that mean?"

"Well, she'll need milk but she can have baby food as well. You'll need to buy baby things… If you're going to raise her." Elise explained.

Nodding his head Fenris replied, "I am. But…" He said trailing off.

"But she's a mage." Elise finished.

Fenris sighed, "I feel like I've lost who I am."

Elise was quiet as she rocked the whimpering child, "For so long you let that hate define you Fenris, perhaps you are not losing yourself, but finding yourself instead."

The way Elise spoke reminded him of Hawke. She had always said things that made him rethink everything he thought, even though he never let it show. She had made him feel free when he still felt like a slave. Elise made him think that maybe Hawke had not changed him, merely led him to who he was supposed to be. Hawke showed him not all mages were bad, not all mages consorted with demons and not all mages dabbled in blood magic. Elise was right; he had let his hate define him. In a way he wasn't a free man, he was still a slave. But no more, he would hate where hate was due, but no more would he be blinded by it. He was not a slave.

"When the time comes, this child will need a mentor." Elise said, handing her back to him, "You have told me many things about your Hawke. No matter her feelings for you, however negative they may be, she will not turn away the child."

Fenris was quiet and thoughtful for a moment. He had intended to go back and find her. He knew, no matter what, he could not back out now. It wasn't just about him anymore, now he had to think of… In that moment, Fenris realized he did not know the child's name

"I don't know her name." He said grimly.

Elise looked at him strangely for a moment, "she's yours now. Give her a name."

He again felt strange. She had had a name before he was certain. He felt a bit of regret for not knowing it. Granted he didn't feel as though he needed to when the mother came crashing through his door. But still he felt bad; he wondered what her name had been. Had the mother named her after one significant? Had her name even meant something special? He didn't know - he never would.

"Castalia." He said quietly.

**Wooo! And there you have it! Chapter two! It'll be awhile before Fenris and Hawke find each other. At this moment in time, Fenris does NOT know Hawke is no longer in Kirkwall. He will face his own trials just as Hawke will face hers in their time apart. I mean, life doesn't just stop xP. **

**Anyway, the root of the baby's name "casta" mean pure. "Lia" is just there to make it sound nice really. I know that Castalia is a character from Greek mythology however the baby's name is NOT based on her. I actually don't know anything about her. Basically Fenris is saying that the baby, though she will grow to be a mage, is pure. Indicating his view change on mages. **

**Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! :)**

**Also, if anyone would like to draw the characters or illustrate anything, that'd be cool. I know it's like super early in the story but I would really just love to see some of the characters, like Elise or any of the kids and what not. Unfortunately my drawing skills are sorely lacking.**

**Let me know? **


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well! Here's chapter three! Again, this chapter contains snippets of Hawke's life. I can't write out every single thing Hawke does leading up to her and Fenris' reunion. That would be like a billion chapters! (I'm exaggerating but it'd be a lot of chapters). So the Hawke and Fenris life chapters will contain snippets that I deem important (because I'm the writer and I say they're important x)) AND, pay attention because Hawke and Fenris' lives will cross over more than they know. You'll know, but they won't (yay dramatic irony!) So yeah, pay attention and when something in their lives crosses, put it in a review! Kinda like hide and find…**

Orana frowned as she watched Hawke cooing over the twins from the kitchen doorway. They were two years old now and there was nothing they enjoyed more than getting into all sorts of trouble. Susanna called it the terrible twos but it was so much worse with twins. Sure, they were sweet-adorable even but that didn't mean they weren't horrifyingly terrible as well.

But Hawke always seemed to fall for their pouting baby faces and their strikingly green eyes. It was funny that a woman, who had once stood as such a formidable power against any foe, crumbled to the will of her tiny twins. One look had her cooing and cuddling them. This often left Orana scolding the naughty children with stern words and smacks to the hand that weren't too hard. It wasn't that Hawke thought they didn't act out-she knew they did. It was just that she didn't have the heart to scold them herself.

"Leto, stop pulling your sister's hair." Hawke mumbled as she pulled the two toddlers away from each other.

She gave a small smile as she noticed Orana watching her. She was thankful Orana had stayed with her. Without her, Hawke was certain she wouldn't be able to manage. Aside from being a mother she spent a lot of time teaching Ophelia about her magic. Sometimes it felt like having three kids rather than two.

When Hawke had first come to the village, Ophelia's ability had only just appeared- she was eight then. Two years had passed and there was much the girl hadn't learned yet. Hawke knew what it was like to be that age. She knew that there were so many things Ophelia would rather be doing. Magic wasn't like other skills that could be learned, it was something that required a lot of work, patience and meditation. She knew it was hard on Ophelia and she felt for her, but she also knew what the consequences would be if she didn't push her.

Ophelia spent a fair amount of time at the house during the day and even had a bed in the twin's room to stay the night. Demons in the fade often preyed on young mages who hadn't yet learned to control their magic. It was one of the reasons why children who exhibit the power were taken to circles as soon it's found out. However, Hawke had learned from her father that a strong and experienced mage can keep the demons at bay merely by their presence- it was why she and Bethany had rarely been bothered by them growing up.

"I'm going to check on Ophelia." Hawke said to Orana as she stood up.

The twins frowned and stopped their play. Hawke had been playing with them on the floor for about an hour leaving Ophelia to study one of the magic books left over by the previous mages. Their eyes pleaded with Hawke to stay and continue playing with them but she didn't give in. She gave them each a kiss on the forehead before gently pushing them towards Orana and heading towards her room.

Before the twins had been born Hawke had turned the library into a third bedroom. The twins and Ophelia took up the previously master bedroom. And even though the library had been turned into a bedroom, it was the only place to keep the books. Not wanting to be rid of the books, she kept them, and merely shared the room with them.

Although her room doubled as a library, Orana and Ophelia were allowed to go in. She knew they respected her privacy and would only get into the books. But aside from that, she had come up with a system that let them know when they were not welcome in the room. Most of the time, the door to the room was open and in the doorway a curtain hung. If the door was closed, she wanted privacy. And the curtain was only there to give the room more privacy when the door was open.

She walked into the room and found Ophelia diligently studying at the desk. She smiled, Ophelia reminded her of Bethany when she was little. She was always such a good girl- studied when father told them too. Not like her, no. She had always snuck off to play in the woods. It was a wonder she even learned anything really. The floor creaked as she stepped forward alerting Ophelia that she was there.

"How's it going?" She asked as Ophelia looked up from her book.

Ophelia sighed, "Alright."

Hawke gave her a knowing smile as she walked towards the desk. She knew that look; Ophelia was bored out of her mind. In the few times that she had actually been forced to sit and study she had worn a similar expression. Father would usually take them outside for a lesson after a while.

"You seem bored." She said.

Ophelia gave a small nod causing Hawke to smile. "Come on, we'll do something outside."

Ophelia's face lit up and she hopped out of her chair. She smiled thankfully at Hawke and eagerly made her way through the house and out the front door. The two mages headed towards the small lake. The day was exceptionally sunny and clear making the lake shimmer reflections well and giving it an inviting look. Although it was warm, there was a soft summer breeze that kept them comfortable.

There was a small dock that led a little way into the lake. The villagers used it for a small rowboat. The lake held a healthy population of fish that were sometimes caught for food. Although Hawke rarely indulged in eating them, years of living in Kirkwall had destroyed nearly all her desire to. She suggested they sit and dip their feet in the water for a while. Learning didn't have to be all studies. It could be fun as well. At least that was how she had been taught by her father.

"I think you're going to grow up to be a strong healer." Hawke said as they sat down on the dock. "I was never that good at healing." She laughed.

Hawke sighed as she moved her feet through the water. "Do you feel the way the water moves?" She asked.

"Yes. It feels nice." Ophelia answered.

"When you heal someone, that's kind of how it feels. Your healing energy flows like water from you to them." Hawke said.

At Ophelia's nod of understanding, she continued "Your magic feels comforting and reassuring; you'll be a good healer someday."

Ophelia smiled, "Do you think I'll be as strong as you someday?" She asked.

"You'll be strong," Hawke said, putting her arm around Ophelia and giving her a light hug, "but you'll be strong in a different way. It's good to know battle magic so you can defend yourself. And you will. But I think healing will always be your strong suit."

"It'll be good for the village then." Ophelia said with a nod and a smile.

Hawke returned the smile; "you should go spend time with your mother. I'll let you off your studies early today." She said with a wink.

Hawke sighed as she trekked through the forest. There was a slight path, barely noticeable if you weren't looking for it, she was following. She had pushed through the woods a few times before but never enough times or as frequent enough to make a stable here-I-am path.

Since coming to the village Orana had been quite engaged in plants. When they were in Kirkwall, Hawke had taught her how to read, insisting that someday the skill would come in useful for the young elf. Since moving, Orana had been reading up on all the botany and herbalism books left over from the previous house owners. She was incredibly interested in the various things that could be made out of plants and she spent a generous amount of time trying out numerous mixtures. Some of the concoctions were successful but some of them were so foul that they would go on a family camping trip until the house aired out.

Aside from the few mixtures that hadn't quite worked out, Orana had proved to be very talented. Some of her creations had become very popular in the village. She had created different types of soaps with different scents, even soap specifically for children-it was gentle and did not sting their eyes; she could make potions, and had even made a weak poison that warded off insects from crops without hurting the crops or the villagers. Other than her success within the village, Sam had begun selling them for her in the towns and cities he frequented.

The merchant dwarf had become quite a close friend since he had helped them to the village. So despite the fact that money was often not used there, as people either shared or bartered amongst each other, he still gave Orana the largest cut of the profits for her goods. Then, once and awhile, Hawke would escort Orana to the closest city and they would enjoy a day of shopping together.

Currently Orana was working on a salve that drastically shortened the amount of time it took to heal a wound. She had made it before but it required a very specific root. She had asked Hawke to get it which led her deep into the surrounding forest. But she didn't mind, she liked living the village life but sometimes she still ached for adventure.

It took about a day to reach where the plant grew and another day back. Hawke rarely encountered anything terribly dangerous, besides the occasional wild animal. So she often went alone. She had made the trek before, and once brought Ophelia as a learning experience but as that journey was so uneventful, she thought it prudent to leave her behind this time.

Hawke had set out in the late morning. There was a slight rain though, making everything a little wet and muddy. She thought it might take a little longer but not by too much. The mud under her feet squished softly as she took each step and she hoped the rain wouldn't turn to a heavy downpour before her journey was done. The forest was fairly dense, so there was little to no chance of running into a bandit. It was refreshing to not have to constantly be on guard.

She walked at steady but comfortable pace. The sounds of the forest drifting into her ears: the soft chirp of birds, the light pittering of rain on trees, the squish of mud under her feet. There was a sense of calmness in the forest, the kind of serenity that the natural areas around Kirkwall never really had. Even Sundermount, which was beautiful, didn't have the peacefulness that the forest had.

Hawke smiled softly to herself. She enjoyed her life. She enjoyed Orana and Ophelia and the Twins. She enjoyed the little village, the lake and the forest. She enjoyed it all. But still she wondered, what would life have been like with Fenris? Would she still be in Kirkwall? Or would they have found their way here? Would they have moved back to Ferelden? Would they have been married?

There were so many questions and what-ifs she had to ponder. And the forest always tended to make her think, especially when there was nothing else to do but that. She was brought from her thoughts by a loud roar. Instantly her staff was in hand and she had turned towards the sound. A smaller, higher pitched cry drifted through the air to reach her ears.

Pushing through the branches, Hawke found a large bear standing on his hind legs. In front of the bear was a smaller but still fairly large bear and behind that bear were two much smaller cubs. The female bear was desperately trying to protect her young but it was obvious that she wasn't as strong as the male. The mother was young, probably a first time mother. Hawke was certain she wouldn't stand a chance.

She shot a fireball towards the male, drawing his attention towards her. Ducking out of the way of the charging bear, she hurled another ball of fire. The fire singed the bear's fur, and he turned around with a furious grunt. Lightning danced from her finger tips in the bear's direction. It left the bear stunned and in its stunned state, Hawke hit it with cone of cold.

Singed, electrocuted and freezing, the bear gave up on his attack. Not wanting to lose its life for the female, it gave a disgruntled snort before turning and heading in the opposite direction. With a victorious smirk, Hawke turned around to the smaller female bear. The mother was sniffing and licking her cubs but Hawke could see a large gash on her arm.

She took a tentative and careful step towards the mother bear. The bear eyed her warily for a moment but made no defensive or aggressive motions. Hawke took another step and still the bear made no reaction. After a few moments, she approached the mother. Although the bear seemed wary still, there was something in her eyes that made Hawke think it was alright to approach her. She placed a glowing hand carefully on the gash and watched as the skin knitted itself back together. She slowly pulled her hand away so as not to alarm the mother.

Sniffing the freshly healed area, the mother gave it a small lick. She turned her head to where Hawke was kneeling beside her. In the mother bear's eyes, Hawke was surprised to see something akin to gratification. She was careful not to make full eye contact with the bear and was startled when a sudden cold wetness touched her cheek but only remained for a brief moment. Hawke watched as the mother and cubs took their leave. Placing her hand where the bear had touched her with its nose, she smiled. Then she stood, turned back to the barely noticeable path, and continued on her way.

"You have to concentrate." She scolded, "concentration is the key to controlling your magic and control is the key to not falling victim to demons. You know this Ophelia, try harder."

Ophelia gave a sigh of frustration. For the last hour she had been trying to freeze an entire bowl of water. At first she had managed to freeze the top of the water. After a few more attempts she was able to freeze more but still she could not freeze the entirety of it. Although it was just an exercise, she was finding it incredibly difficult.

"I'm trying."

Hawke gave her a small smile and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I know you are."

It was late summer and although for the most part the world was still green, some of the leaves on the trees were just starting to turn, fading from bright and glorious green to a dull green-yellow and eventually gold. The apple trees that didn't occur around the area naturally but had been planted some years ago were becoming ripe and full with delicious, juicy fruit. The air was still warm but held the crispness of the coming fall. Hawke had wanted to have the lesson outside. Insisting that they spend time enjoying the last days of the warm and sunny pleasant weather before the season changed and winter covered everything in a blanket of cold snow.

Hawke took a seat next to Ophelia in the shade of a tree. "Try this," she said, "Close your eyes, feel your energy—your magic envelope the bowl of water, see it in your mind's eye and concentrate on only the water. Envision the water becoming colder, and colder and colder until it turns to ice."

Ophelia nodded her head then looked down at the bowl in her hands. She closed her eyes and concentrated, thinking only of the bowl of water. In her mind, she could see the bowl being surrounded by the swirl of her magic. Then, just as Hawke had instructed, she imagined the water getting colder and turning to ice. It felt like forever but when her eyes fluttered open, in her hand was a bowl of perfect ice and Hawke was smiling at her.

"I… I did it!" She said excitedly.

Hawke nodded her head, smiling with delight in her charge's accomplishment. "Now… heat it up till it melts."

Ophelia grumbled. "Being a mage sucks…"

"You're warm." Orana said as she felt Hawke's forehead and cheeks.

"It's nothing." Hawke groaned as she made to move from her bed.

"Nonsense! You need to rest." Orana replied while pushing Hawke back down. "I'll keep Raine and Leto occupied, you just rest."

Hawke sighed but relented. "Alright, but tell Ophelia to come in for a moment please."

Orana smiled and nodded. She left the room and sent Ophelia up. Then she gathered the twins. Hawke faintly heard the front door of the house open and the soft click close signaling that Orana had taken the twins outside. It didn't surprise her though. With the sun shining so brightly through her window, she knew it was a beautiful day. The kind of day she loved when she was kid-the kind of day she always snuck away from her studies for. Then she heard the soft creaks of the stairs that let her know Ophelia was on her way up and waited for her to appear in the doorway. Ophelia appeared not a moment later and swiftly pulled back the lace curtains that hung in the doorway.

"Orana said you wanted to speak to me?" She said questioningly.

Hawke nodded her head, "since I'm feeling a little ill, I thought this would be a good opportunity to teach you something."

With a slight nod of her head, Ophelia walked over to the bed.

"You know that good healers can heal more than just wounds." Hawke started, "well, I think this would be a good chance for you to practice with sicknesses. I know you're not strong enough to heal ailments yet, but you should get a good feel for them."

Ophelia took a seat on the bed and pulled her legs to sit cross-legged. She smiled and she placed hands near Hawke, hovering just above her. With her eyes closed she began to concentrate. Her powers covered Hawke like a warm blanket and in her mind's eye she could see the swirl of Hawke's energy. She could see Hawke's shape but her specific features weren't there and in their place were various shades of a color she couldn't describe aside from pure and wonderful. Then, as she concentrated on finding and feeling what was amiss, she saw a jumble of dark greys. The cloud of greys reminded he of things that were unclean and she made a mental note of what it felt like. Withdrawing her magic back, she opened her eyes.

"What did you see?" Hawke questioned.

"It was… so strange." Ophelia began, "I could see your outline but instead of you I saw… energy! Swirling clouds of blue and white…" She trailed off.

Hawke nodded her head, "were you able to see the sickness?"

"Yes. It was like a dark storm cloud, it felt unpleasant."

Hawke smiled, "I'm really quite impressed you were able to sense it on your first try. You're going to grow up to be an exceptional healer," she praised.

"Now," Hawke said, "I want you to read the fourth chapter in Medicine of the Magi Kind," she paused as a disgruntled look overcame Ophelia's face and gave her a I-know-what-you're-thinking smile, "then you can have the rest of the day off."

The frown on Ophelia's face quickly turned to a look of utter joy. She sprang from the bed happily and practically danced to desk where she had left the book before. Picking it up, she gave Hawke a thankful smile before jogging out of the bedroom to read in the comfortable outside air.

Hawke watched the doorway's green lace curtain gently float back into place after Ophelia's quick parting with a smile. Sighing with a small but happy smile, she rolled over on to her side and closed her eyes for a nap, just as Orana had demanded.

Hawke softly smiled as she looked down at her small twins. Every night she tucked them in and sang them to sleep. It was a lullaby her father had sung to her when she was young. The song was soft and sweet albeit a little lengthy. Even Ophelia would sometimes go to bed early just to hear her sing it. The tune was foreign to most people and even Hawke didn't know where her father had learned it, he had never said.

The soft sound of the lullaby danced light and airily around the room as Hawke sang quietly. The candle lit on the bedside table flickered and gave some light to the dim room in a comforting glow. The twins watched their mother with dreary eyes and lids that kept sneakily slipping lower and lower until they were completely closed. The lullaby washed over the room and bathed everything in it in a sense of peace and serenity. Everything was calm and quiet.

As the song slowly faded off her lips, Hawke found herself watching, mesmerized, by the soft even breathing of her children. A smile, small and full of happiness and love, graced her pink lips. Carefully and just as softly as everything else, she lowered and placed a kiss on each child's forehead. Neither of twins seemed disturbed by the brush of her lips as they drifted peacefully in slumber. Hawke found that although she had not pictured her life like this, she was undeniably happy.

**Here's another chapter! I hope you enjoyed it so please review. And if you were wondering, the song that Hawke sings to the twins is called Sleepsong by Secret Garden. It's a really pretty song. I suggest listening to it while you read the scene and just picturing. I also suggest you all sing it to your children ;D. I know I will! **


	5. Chapter 4

Fenris sighed; it had been about three months since Castalia had come into his life. He was still in Denerim but he had no intention of staying in the city for much longer. Since setting fire to his small house on the outskirts of the city, as well as the body of Castalia's mother, he had been staying at an inn. And due to Castalia's young age and malnourished first few months of life, he had decided it was best not to make the journey to Kirkwall, fearing that she would not survive.

But Castalia was doing surprisingly well physically; hopefully she'd start walking soon. She had gained some weight and grown in length. But he wasn't so sure how she was doing mentally or emotionally. Elise said she was at the age to begin speaking but she hadn't uttered a single word and at most only made gurgly baby noises when she wasn't being completely quiet. Fenris was certain it was because her first year of life had been fairly traumatic.

Elise said that if he spent a lot of time with her, played with her and spoke to her, she would start to open up. She said that Castalia was probably confused and very distressed over the sudden disappearance of her mother from her life. So he did spend quite a bit of time with her, nearly all his time in fact. The only time she wasn't with him was when he was working a job. Then, although it was not his preference if Elise was busy, she was with one of the girls from the brothel.

**XXX**

Fenris ran a calloused hand through his silvery-white hair as he scanned a piece of parchment. He was currently still working as a hired sword, but only because certain jobs paid well and he was hoping to find a way out of Denerim soon. However, leaving was a bit more difficult now that he had Castalia. If it was only him he could have upped and left any time he so pleased and alone. But Castalia required care and attention and protection. And those were things he would have trouble providing if it was just the two of them.

How would he defend against bandits or thugs if he was holding her? A kind woman in the market had shown him how to wrap her up in a cloth carrier tied to his front and as helpful as that was for walking around with her it was absolutely no help in defending her. He could not fight with her attached to him not only because he wouldn't be able to maneuver quite as well but also because it put her right in the middle of the fray which was, of course, a big problem. He needed to find someone that could or would travel with them.

He read over the parchment again, having lost himself in thought the first time. It was a request by a merchant named Sam. Apparently the dwarf had heard of him from one of the brothel girls and was seeking his aid in reaching a town. The message didn't say much more than that other than where to meet the dwarf in the market. With a shrug, Fenris decided to speak to Sam and at least see where he was heading. It just might be his lucky break.

Fenris glanced over to the bed; Castalia was sprawled out as far as she could sound asleep. She looked peaceful and he regretted having to wake her. With a sigh, he walked over to where her "baby bag," as the women called it, was laying. He slung it over his shoulder than walked over to the bed. He leaned down to pick her up, trying not to jostle her too much as he did so. Groggy and grumpy she began to whine until Fenris rested her head against his shoulder. Her hand reached out and grabbed a fist full of hair, much to his dismay, as she drifted in and out of sleep. With a small smile and a gentle hand Fenris separated his hair from her grasp. Then as carefully as he could he left the inn and headed towards the brothel.

The owner frowned in annoyance when Fenris walked through the door. "This is a brothel, not a day care."

Before he had a chance to respond, a girl, who he vaguely remembered as being called Phoebe, peeked her head around the corner. "Oh. OH!" She said excitedly, "It's my turn to watch her!"

Again, the owner spoke up, this time more loudly. "This is not a day care," she growled in a way that would have made any mabari jealous.

"Pft. It's my rest day. I can do whatever I want." Phoebe said, sticking her tongue.

Having no argument to that, the owner didn't respond and chose to simply ignore them.

Phoebe walked over to Fenris happily and held out her arms for Castalia. The majority of the brothel girls quite enjoyed babysitting her and Phoebe was no different. Fenris carefully—trying to not wake her, passed the sleeping child off.

"She's been napping," he said, feeling uncomfortable, "uhm, she'll probably be cranky and hungry when she wakes up." Fenris awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

Castalia woke up and gave a whine prompting Phoebe to bounce her on her hip with a smile.

"Don't worry Dad!" She said smiling, "She'll be fine."

With a nod, Fenris put his hand on Castalia head and ruffled her hair just a bit then turned and left. It felt weird to hear that word directed towards him, "dad." And he felt even stranger when he thought about how someday Castalia would undoubtedly call him that or something similar. In a way he felt honored and a sense of pride but at the same time it still made him uncomfortable.

**XXX**

"Are you Sam?" Fenris asked as he approached a dwarf standing near the meeting point as claimed by the message.

The dwarf turned around and eyed him for a moment, "you must be Fenris, the elf the girls told me about."

Fenris nodded his head slowly, "you said you wanted protection for your journey to a town?" He inquired.

Sam nodded his head, "I'm headed towards Lothering but I heard that there is a band of highwaymen that have been prowling the route. I'm only passing through Lothering and beyond there I won't need protection. However, the items I'm transporting are very valuable and I can't afford to lose them to a bunch of thugs."

Fenris couldn't believe it. It was as if the Maker himself sent the dwarf to him. Hawke had often spoke of Lothering and though Fenris knew it was most like different from what it had been when she resided there, he thought it would be a good town to bring up Castalia in until she was old enough and healthy enough to journey to Kirkwall. Lothering wasn't incredibly far away, perhaps a week or so journey. He was certain Castalia would be able to make that.

"I thought the land there was poisoned." Fenris stated with a hint of query.

"Everyone did, I guess." Sam said, "but then it recovered faster than anyone expected; as if the Maker himself touched it!"

Fenris was quiet and thoughtful for a moment, "I think we both having something to offer each other…"

**XXX**

Fenris strode into Elise's room swiftly. The door closed behind him with a soft but audible click. Elise was sitting at the vanity, brushing her hair in the mirror. She turned towards the sound of the door with a curious and confused look, having not been expecting anyone. She smoothed the hair over her shoulder than sat the brush down on the table.

"Hello?" She called.

"Elise." Fenris said gruffly.

She smiled softly and put her hands in her lap, "oh, Fenris. I wasn't expecting you."

Fenris made a kind of snorting sound and crossed his arms feelings uncomfortable. "I have something to tell you."

Elise turned full in the seat to face him, "What?" She asked sounding strangely concerned.

Fenris was quiet for a moment, unsure how to proceed. "Uhh… I'm leaving." He said.

The room fell into silence before Elise gave a soft but seemingly sad smile. She looked thoughtful and, for a moment—regretful, but then it was gone. Fenris looked at her strangely; he had never really been good with farewells. And Elise had become a good friend to him. He felt almost hurt at the thought of leaving and never seeing her again.

"Where are you going?" She asked finally.

"There is a dwarf named Sam who has offered good coin for an escort to Lothering." He answered.

With a nod, Elise responded, "It's funny… I think you mentioned your Hawke as being from there."

Fenris swallowed uneasily, "yes."

"I hope you find her Fenris." Elise said after another long moment of silence. "I wish you and Castalia luck and wellness."

The room again fell quiet, and Fenris fidgeted with his hands. Elise listened to the quiet movements for a moment, with a smile on her face. Fenris felt as though she was looking at him—into him, even though she was blind. He felt nervous and annoyed but at the same time he knew without a doubt that he would miss Elise. As he bid her goodbye and turned from the room, he hoped she found something better than the brothel. Maker new she deserved it.

**XXX**

The sun had just risen, bathing everything in its bright morning glow. Fenris met up with Sam on the outskirts of Denerim. Castalia's head was resting on his shoulder, she whined grumpily and tiredly. Fenris rubbed her back comfortingly and gently hushed her. Sam showed Fenris to the caravan where he had cleared a space for Castalia to lay. Fenris careful laid her down-she frowned and tried to cling to him. He smiled at her and pried her fingers away, giving her a bottle of sugar water.

"Hush little one. Go to sleep." He said quietly.

Castalia eyed him carefully with the bottle in her mouth, her eyes betraying her tiredness. Slowly her eyelids drooped and she fell into a light sleep. Fenris climbed away from her and out of the caravan. Sam was readying the horse, so Fenris took his place as guard beside the caravan. As Sam finished up, he called back to ask if he was ready; Fenris gave a short and gruff answer.

Fenris let out a deep breath as they began the journey to Lothering. He felt as though he was finally heading in the right direction. He had been a slave to his hate for so long but no more. No more would he be blinded—he understood now and he would beg and pray for Hawke's eventual forgiveness. He would raise Castalia and protect her from everything: Templars, demons, anything. He was finally truly free.

**XXX**

With his foot, Fenris pushed the body of the bandit off his sword before turning quickly to block an attack from behind. He grunted as pushed the man back then swung his sword forward to make an attack. His blade caught the man in the abdomen, ripping through the skin and tearing into organs. Blood spurted out and the man fell in a heap to the ground dead. A growl ripped through the air as a mabari leapt out of a bush towards him. Fenris easily impaled the dog. It fell to the ground and he pulled his sword from the body.

Fenris looked around for any sign of more attackers. After a moment of seeing no movement, he lowered his sword and dropped his defensive stance. A sigh escaped his lips as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a cloth to wipe the blood from his face. Sam stepped out from around the caravan and said Castalia was alright. Nodding, Fenris stepped carefully around the bodies—looting them.

Sam picked through the broken remains of a crate. It had fallen out of the caravan when the bandits attacked and startled the horse. He sighed, some of the things were salvageable but a lot of the glass bottles were broken.

"Sodding highwaymen…" He grumbled.

The scent of apples drifted through the air as Fenris approached Sam. He looked around confused; there were no apple trees. Sam was gathering what could be saved and arranging in the back. Fenris peeked in at Castalia and gently ruffled her hair. She smiled at him, comforted by his presence after the commotion had frightened her and he smiled back, a feeling of warmth settling itself in his heart.

A rustling from some bushes caught his attention. Immediately Fenris had his hand on his sword and had turned towards the noise. After a moment, two frightened puppies crawled out. Fenris let go of his sword and released a breath. Just then, Sam came around having heard the rustling as well.

"Huh? Mabari pups." He said confusedly. "Must've been out training with them bastards," he motioned towards the bodies.

"Indeed." Fenris said as he poked at one of the puppies with his foot. "What do you want to do with them?" He really hoped the dwarf didn't intend to have him kill them, slaughtering puppies just didn't sit well with him.

Sam shrugged, "I don't care. They'll follow us if they want to."

**XXX**

Fenris sighed quietly as he sat cross-legged by the campfire with Castalia in his lap. She was sucking on a half empty bottle of sugar water. He pulled a small comb through her hair, gently pulling out the knots. From the corner of his eye he could see Sam eyeing him, something he had noticed the dwarf doing multiple times on their journey.

"What?" He finally asked.

"What..?" Sam asked, startled.

"You've been casting me strange looks since we started traveling. Why?" Fenris asked in an only slightly demanding manner.

Sam gave a grunt before responding, "you remind me of someone I know, that's all."

Fenris fell quiet after that, unsure of what to make of it. In all of his years he had never seen another person that even remotely resembled him other than Varania, who only held similar facial features. With a sigh he decided not to dwell on it, not wanting or caring to know how this other person resembled him or who they were.

Castalia pulled his attention away from the thought with a soft yawn. He smiled down at her and moved to lie down on the bedroll. Since staying in the inn she was used to sleeping near him and cuddled up beside him. Fenris smiled as he stared up at the stars. He would never have imagined that his life would end up like this but somehow it just felt right. Perhaps the Maker had planned this for him all along. As he drifted off to sleep, child beside him and stars above him, Hawke floated through his mind and he truly prayed that the Maker planned their reunion, someday.

**XXX**

Castalia giggled as she moved her legs around while Fenris tried to restrain them and change her diaper. He smiled at her and let her have her game for a little while before he caught both her ankles. Holding them together in one hand, he managed to wipe her bottom and maneuver her into a clean cloth diaper. She giggled again and smiled up at him.

"There you go my little one, all clean." Fenris said.

They had arrived in Lothering about a day ago and Fenris had secured a room for him and Castalia at the Inn. Sam hadn't yet paid him but he wasn't worried about the dwarf skipping out. A heavy rainstorm had started when they reached Lothering—too heavy to travel in, leading Sam to stay at the inn as well. Although as far as Fenris was concerned it didn't matter if Sam paid him, who knows if he would have gotten out of Denerim without the merchant.

Fenris stood up from the bed and walked over to a table across the room where Castalia's baby bag was. He rifled through it before pulling out a dress Elise had given her before they left. The dress was of a simple design and the fabric was dyed light red. He hadn't dressed Castalia in it during the week they traveled, not wanting her to ruin it. But since arriving in Lothering he found himself oddly excited to dress her in the garment. He thought to himself that this must be what it feels like to be a parent.

When he turned from the bag he found that Castalia was no longer sitting on the bed. It didn't surprise him though; she had a habit of crawling off when he wasn't looking. Something he learned in Denerim. He found her staring out the only window in the room, having pulled herself up using the windowsill. He walked over to the window and crouched beside her, trying to see what she was looking at out of curiosity. There was nothing of real interest outside so Fenris assumed she was merely watching the rain. He picked her up and walked back over to the bed where he left her dress moments ago, her bright eyes staring up at him.

Again Fenris felt an odd swell of pride and strangeness, he had truly never imagined that his life would end up so vastly different from everything he formerly believed in. Ten years ago, he never would have done this: taking in and raising a mage child. He would have believed the very thought to be preposterous.

A knock on the door brought him from his musing. He slipped the dress over her head quickly and headed towards the door. When he opened it he found himself having to look down, Sam being the one standing in the door way. He was a bit surprised: one for not having been expecting the dwarf, and two because of the fact that sitting just behind Sam were two happily panting mabari pups; the very same two they'd encountered on their journey to Lothering.

"I came to give you your final pay for escorting me here." Sam said handing him pouch of coins.

Fenris nodded his head in thanks, "I see the mabaris managed to keep to you."

Sam laughed and scratched the back of his head, "yeah, I know some kids I thought they'd be good for."

Giggling from inside the room distracted the talking males. Fenris turned around to see what Castalia had gotten into and Sam merely looked out of curiosity. The two found that one of the pups had managed to sneak passed them and that Castalia was overjoyed with it and playing happily. Sam smiled and glanced behind him. The other puppy was still obediently sitting.

"Well," he began "looks like that pup has taken quite a shine to her."

Fenris frowned "yeah… she's going to heart broken when you leave."

Sam shrugged, "don't worry about it."

Fenris was surprised to say the least "are you sure? And I don't know if I can support a dog to…" He trailed off

"Listen." Sam said. "I heard an old famer moaning about needing help taking care of his land down at the bar. You should talk to him."

Fenris nodded more than grateful to the dwarf. Sam gave his final thanks and goodbyes, planning to leave Lothering first thing in the morning. Closing the door, Fenris turned to his – pausing suddenly, Fenris thought – this was his family. Castalia would always be in his life and he would always be in hers and now they had a dog too. Fenris placed a hand on his chest a feeling of warmth filling his heart, stronger and different from the other feelings he had felt before. He looked at Castalia and the pup and smiled, but he couldn't help the small feeling of emptiness that remained.

**XXX**

**Sorry this update took so long! I hope you liked it. Please review **


	6. Chapter 5

Varric smiled and put down the most recent letter from Hawke. As he looked around his long time room in the Hanged Man, he closed his eyes; he could almost imagine she'd come barging in to drag him of on some insane mission at any second. After a long moment he opened his eyes knowing it would not be. He sighed heavily—all of a sudden Varric felt old.

It felt as though his adventures with Hawke and their motley crew had happened an entirely different life time ago. It certainly didn't feel as short as seven years seemed looking back at it now. And the time without her seemed to crawl; four years felt liked forty since she'd left.

Without Hawke to lead them, they all inevitably drifted off in their own directions. Even Daisy left the city about a year after her. He'd even heard that she had her own clan to lead now. Isabella stopped in Kirkwall for visits from time to time but the woman practically breathed sea foam and she never stayed for longer than a week. Sometimes he'd join her on her _adventures,_ but if Varric were honest with himself, he never really did get his sea legs—and always found himself returning to Kirkwall.

He and Aveline were the only ones that remained in the city. No one had even heard or seen anything of Fenris since he disappeared those years ago. Isabella said she thought she saw him in Ferelden once but when she went to punch his "pretty little elven face" he was already gone. She had wondered if she'd even seen him at all…

No one knew exactly where Hawke had disappeared to. And the only correspondence they had was through a merchant named Sam. The other dwarf seemed to have contact with her directly often enough and Varric frequently sent packages containing gifts and of course copies of his famous novels.

With another heavy sigh Varric stood up from the table and walked over to his bookcase. He pulled a large and rather worn looking book from the shelf and tucked the letter inside. Then, after a quiet moment of thought, flipped to a different page, there tucked away neatly was a small hand drawn portrait of Hawke and her little family, it even included Orana. He looked at the picture for a second longer before gently closing the book and tucking it away. Silently he wondered if he would ever again see the adventuress and meet his little Hawklings.

Varric then, abruptly turned, and with a large grin on his face practically strolled out of the room. Now that he'd allowed himself a lengthy moment for sentiments he was ready to stir up some trouble. No doubt to Aveline's dismay.

**XXX**

A hunter crept quietly along the underbrush stalking her prey. It had been brought to her attention that intruders were creeping dangerously close to her den and she had gone off to investigate and hopefully run them off.

Her red fur stood on end as she could _feel_ them coming closer without seeing them; having long ago developed a type of sixth sense if you will. She laid silently in wait taking slow measured breaths. Any moment now they would enter her line of sight and she would strike.

Two elves, one male and one female, suddenly crossed her field of vision and she sprang into action like a trap being triggered. The action was so abrupt the only thing the male elf could do was fall startled to the side. The female seemly recovered quicker than her counterpart and gripped her bow tightly in her hand, reaching for an arrow from her quiver.

Before she even had a chance the red wolf lunged at her. Startled the woman dropped the arrow she had been grasping and it thudded back into in the quiver. Her eye had closed on instinct waiting for the force of the attack but was shocked to feel…nothing. The red wolf circled the two hunters slowly, watching their every move. The male couldn't help but notice the look of intelligence in her eyes as he studied it.

Carefully he stood with his hands up non threateningly and spoke carefully, "we mean you no harm."

The wolf snorted but the man noticed she was watching his partner. Gently turning his head, he saw a look of incredulousness on his partner's face. He looked back at the wolf and noticed she had stopped pacing, almost as if she was deciding.

"We're just passing through." He spoke again.

This time his partner spoke up, "are you mad Laurentin?! This beast cannot understand you—slay it!"

Laurentin hissed quietly at his partner, "Keeper teaches us all life is sacred Maricela! She says if we can avoid spilling blood then we should."

"But talking to wolves!?" Maricela hissed back.

The red wolf loudly huffed, drawing their attention back to it. Both the hunters and the wolf seemed to contemplate each other for a moment longer. Then in a glorious flash of bright white the wolf seemed to grow taller until before them stood a wolf no longer, but a beautiful red headed woman.

"I believe I'd fancy a meeting with your Keeper. She teaches such excellent lessons." The woman spoke casually, as if she had not been a prowling wolf on the hunt seconds before.

The two hunters were left shocked and awed at the display. The tingling sensation of powerful magic tickled at the back of their minds as they stared after the woman heading towards the Dalish camp in the distance. Shaking their heads clear, both Laurentin and Maricela ran after the woman, uncertain whether they meant to stop her or follow.

**XXX**

Hawke strode purposefully towards the direction she knew the Dalish Camp to be. She couldn't begin to tell how or when she had developed this sort of ability to sense the energies of others. She could only say that she had had it as far back as her memories allowed and it had only grown much stronger as the years progressed, especially with the steady progression of her magic.

As she drew closer, she noticed the two hunters had begun to follow her. At first she thought they meant to stop her but as they quietly fell in step beside her, she thought perhaps her display in the forest had startled them too much. She couldn't help but giggle inwardly at the idea. Shapeshifting was still rather new to her and she secretly took great pleasure out of surprising other people with it.

When they approached the settlement an elf dressed in similar Dalish amour approached them. He seemed to try to appear intimidating. Hawke, however, found it difficult to feel intimidated these days and was very obviously unaffected by the display.

"Why have you brought this Shem here?" He spit out a bit more venomously than Hawke thought was necessary.

Not perturbed in the least by the rude greeting; she replied without missing a beat—"Aneth'ara falon. Emma isala na Keeper" as she danced past the young guard with barely a passing glance.

Shocked by the use of his own tongue from a shemlen, the guard didn't move to stop her as she moved with purpose past him; somehow managing to look imposingly fearsome and gracefully delicate all at once. He turned towards his clan mates who had accompanied the strange woman into their temporary settlement, not missing the look of awe in their eyes. Then he looked back at the woman walking unimpeded towards the Keeper and wondered just what had transpired in the forest.

The keeper had her back turned as Hawke approached; she couldn't help but feel like the Keepers' magic somehow felt familiar. She seemed to be speaking to another elf, a brown headed woman that was perhaps a few years younger than the keeper herself. As the Keeper turned, Hawke bowed appropriately, and spoke.

"Andaran atish'an Ke—Merrill?" She stood shocked.

"Hawke!" The excitement in her voice nearly palpable.

Neither women could help the smile that pulled wide at their cheeks, enveloping each other in a tight hug. Both in disbelief and amazed to find one another and equally full of questions.

Merrill led her over to a fire where they could both sit and talk. Unable to resist the pull of girlish chatter, they immediately dived in to talk of all that had taken place in each other's lives since they last saw each other.

Hawke listened intently as Merrill recounted her journey of agreeing to help a city elf find the Dalish. While in search of a clan she had inadvertently gained enough followers that the idea of becoming their own was brought about. It was ultimately decided upon after they finally met up with another Dalish clan and Merrill was able to speak with their keeper.

Hawke was happy for her friend's new life back among her people. She was even happier that Merrill seemed to have moved on from the eluvian and blood magic all together. She couldn't help but smile as she observed the changes in Merrill while she told her about the twins and her family. She paused for a moment, considering whether or not it would be right to tell her friend about her village. Looking at Merrill out of the corner of her eye, taking in the wisdom and kindness on her old friend's face, Hawke knew without a doubt that she wouldn't keep her home a secret from her.

Merrill was a mage and certainly understood that magic at its very core was not evil. But more than that Hawke trusted her, so without further doubt in her mind, she dove right into the story. Merrill was mesmerized by the story and Hawke was glad to see that hadn't changed. She told her friend how she had met a merchant dwarf when she was still heavily pregnant and how she had ended up revealing herself as mage to him. She went on to explain how he had escorted her to an old magic village where the talent had run dry but the people still remembered. Finally she finished with how in the years since Kirkwall and the subsequent war across Thedas, the little village had become somewhat of hidden capital of what she called _white magic. _All with her at the head.

"More mages seem to appear all the time." Hawke acknowledged.

"That doesn't sound like a very well-kept secret Hawke…" Merrill said thoughtfully with a frown.

Hawke couldn't help but laugh as she responded, "you didn't find it" although her tone was light it held a note of seriousness.

Merrill looked around suddenly, only a slight confusion marring her face, and Hawke was reminded of the old days for moment.

"Where is it?" Merrill finally asked before quickly adding "you don't have to tell me if you don't want" for the worry of offending her friend.

She laughed quietly at the elf's antics for just a moment. "I will tell you Merrill," she said with a smile, "but you must promise me the secret will remain among your clan only. We cannot afford to be found and taken. Not yet anyway." She added the last part almost as an afterthought and Merrill couldn't shake the feeling of foretelling from the vague declaration.

"Though we are protected by runes and illusions, there are many ways to find us if one but looks." Hawke stated.

"You know the river the cuts through this area, correct?" At Merrill's nod she continued, "If you follow the direction of the flow of water eventually the river will split into two smaller streams. The split is an illusion meant to confuse what I call the Unworthy. The river becomes a lake if you follow the correct path and beside that lake lies my village. I'm telling you this because I trust you Merrill, and I trust your people."

Merrill flashed a bright smile at Hawke at the admission. Before a frown creased her brow again "What if someone bad sees through the illusion Lethallan?"

"Oh, don't you worry about that! I've learned a great deal more of magic since I've been away." Hawke said as she stood and dusted herself off, offering Merrill a hand to do the same.

Merrill had silently hoped Hawke would elaborate but she didn't seem inclined to. She couldn't help but frown a bit in disappointment but didn't push the subject. Having long since learned when it is right to ask questions and when it was best to just let things be as they were.

As they stood up it finally dawned on them that evening had fallen over the world. What had seemed like mere minutes in talking had actually been hours. Hawke looked up into the sky, noting the blue-pink hue with a quiet hum. Merrill looked at Hawke then at the river, thinking about the directions her friend had given her. _It must be an awful long walk… _She thought. A question popped into her mind then.

"How did you even know we were here Hawke?"

The other mage turned to her with a shrug and replied easily, "my hunters found your hunters. They were… alarmed." She smirked.

Merrill nodded her head "That doesn't quite answer my question though."

This time Hawke turned to her fully and grinned, "I merely came to run them off."

Hawke was leading them back towards the edge of camp now as Merrill asked her final questions.

"It must have been a bit of a distance?" She said carefully watching Hawke's reaction as they approached the edge of the settlement.

"Like I said; a great deal of magic." Hawke said with a wink and a hug.

Merrill was about to ask what she meant when in a sudden burst of light Hawke was gone. She looked around her but found she could not even feel the gentle pulse of the other woman's magic anymore. A sudden cry from a hawk pierced the air causing Merrill to peer up into the sky. Circling above the encampment was a single red hawk. She couldn't help the widening of her eyes as the realization washed over her. The hawk called out one last time before flying the same direction the river flowed. She swore that even high in the sky she saw the bird wink at her before it disappeared.

The two hunters finally approached while she continued to stare out at the distant sky long after the hawk was gone.

"What form was she in when she approached you?" She asked, quietly amazed by the display of old magic.

"A great red wolf." It was Maricela that answered.

Merrill found that the only response she had was a nod.

**XXX**

The sun had already set and night was firmly in place when Hawke got in that night. Orana greeted her from her chair in the living area, a book in her lap, fire crackling in the fireplace. As Hawke came in she closed the book and sat up a little to inquire about her adoptive sister's lengthy day trip. Certainly running off a few hunters had not taken all day. She couldn't possibly have got herself in some kind of trouble could she?

"Did you run off the hunters?" She asked

After hanging her cloak on a hanger near the door Hawke turned to Orana with a smile. "It was the most interesting thing—a clan of Dalish elves."

She paused for dramatic effect; something she had taken from all those years with Varric, "Merrill was their Keeper!" A slight joyous laugh made its way into her voice.

Orana released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Of course there wouldn't be any trouble here. They were safe here. Safer and freer than Orana had ever been and she allowed herself to smile at the thought before finally registering Hawke's words.

"Merrill has a clan now?" Orana said and smiled.

She had always shared a sort of kinship with the female elf when then had lived in Kirkwall. It was good to hear she had found her place among the people again. Briefly Orana wondered if she had a place among the Dalish. The thought was quickly dismissed though. She was happier with her life as a Hawke then she could ever remembering being happy before.

Orana could finally look at herself as more than a slave. She had a family, a standing among the community, Maker she even had gold. She was a person. She was a _free elf;_ really and truly free—regarded as an _equal._ The realization made a feeling utter joy spread through her chest.

**XXX**

It was the twin's fourth name-day and Hawke could scarcely believe how fast time was going by. But, as she watched her little ones running about excitedly with the other children, she lamented over all of the life _he_ was missing. It must have shown on her face because a comforting hand found its way to her shoulder. She turned to Merrill and smiled.

Not long after Hawke had found the newly established Dalish clan in the surrounding forest, Merrill had decided they would wait the coming winter out on the other side of the small lake from the growing village. The clan had been a little reluctant at first; wary of being so near to humans. But Merrill assured the clan that their fears were for naught and after only about a week spent in close proximity to the village the entire clan had conceded that she was right.

The village was completely different than anything any of them had ever seen. Speaking with new residents found them in a similar state of amazement as the elves. Everyone was so kind and accepting. Elves were seen as equals. Mages were regarded without fear and could practice freely. Magic and pride were taught and never shamed. It was a place where good mages could come to be with and learn from other good mages.

If only the rest of the world could be as peaceful.

Hawke looked around at everyone with a smile. She had definitely made the right choice in coming here. She spotted Sam sitting at a low table, grinning into a mug of ale, as he watched the twins chasing around "their" mabari, who Hawke suspected, had actually imprinted on Raine. The pup had been a gift to the twins from Sam when they were only two. She had named the dog Marx since the twins had been too young to properly name him. However, Hawke knew that Raine often referred to the dog as Zacarias in private, though Hawke could never understand why.

_Maker Remembers…_ She often found herself thinking of the name's translation but such thoughts never brought her closer to understanding. And Hawke unfortunately had a tendency to worry about things she didn't quite understand.

Raine took that moment to turn from her play and look at her mother. She sucked in a breath; the look in her daughter's eyes seemed almost knowing. Raine turned back to her brother and her friends, enjoying the festivities of their name-day, leaving Hawke to shake clear her head. She couldn't _know_ anything… she was just a child.

But there were times Hawke would walk by their bedroom in the early morning light and find Raine staring out the window into the sky, her silver hair shimmering over her shoulders likes pools of molten lyrium. Sometimes she could swear she heard her whisperingthough she knew not what. And she had to wonder what, if anything, her little girl did know.

**XXX**

Not a month after their name day Raine showed the first signs of magic. Hawke wasn't the least bit surprised. Somehow she knew Raine had magic inside of her. Just as she knew Leto did not. It was the fact that the talent had revealed itself so early that really shocked her. It was very rare that magic revealed itself in the blood before at least the tenth name-day. Even Hawke's own magic did not appear before then.

She was no fool. She knew magic ran strong in her blood line. Her father had been a powerful mage and she had now surpassed him. A fact she accredited mainly to the village that allowed her to practice, learn and teach magic freely. She had read nearly every magical book and tome left behind from the old mages. She had even traveled to Cumberland in Nevarra for research. Mages in Nevarra we regarded with great standing, nearly as marveled as the magisters of Tevinter. Hawke had thought temporarily on traveling there as well but ultimately decided not.

She had learned much from the old books. She had learned more from her travels. But neither books nor research nor traveling taught her as much as her nights spent in the Fade. She didn't know why but often in her dreams she found herself traveling through days of old—long, long before her time. Dreams and visions so vivid she sometimes thought they must be real. She spoke to others in her dreams. Mages of times now gone, Keepers from the past, humans and elves alike; spirits she knew.

Omnes Matrem they called her. _The All Mother. _Though the language was unfamiliar to her—she was sure she'd never heard it before in her life—somehow she knew what they meant. 

It was there in her dreams that she learned most of what she knew of old magic—before magic had become tainted and feared. Each time Hawke had had a vision, she woke up with a strange new understanding of magic or knowing a new spell. But she couldn't shake the feeling that her dreams were actually memories and she was remembering things she knew once before.

Life in the village was rather interesting, in a different way than she had previously been used to. True, she didn't go off in search of trouble anymore or find herself off on seemingly impossible quests or fighting multitudes of grueling enemies, but life was interesting. She learned a great deal more than she had ever known before. People looked up to her now more than ever before. They trusted her to guide them and teach them. It was something Hawke took great pride in.

Hawke was brought from her reverie by a cry from outside. Fearing there might be danger, she darted from house. She hadn't taken five steps out of her door when she noticed Ophelia and Raine sitting together beneath the tree, a bowl clutched tight in the older girl's hand. As Hawke approached both girls turned to look at her; one with a look of awe, the other with a mask of cool indifference. It reminded her of _him._

She peered into the bowl and found that it contained solid ice. Looking at Ophelia she raised a single brow in question. It was obvious this was a repeat of the exercise Hawke had given her several years ago to build her control. Her first assumption was that Ophelia had simply been showing the "trick" to Raine. The worlds that fell from her young charges' lips, however, had Hawke's eyes widening.

"She froze the entire thing."

**XXX**

Leto sighed a bit dejectedly as he watched his sister practice magic with Ophelia and some other young mages. It wasn't fair. They were twins but _he _didn't have magic. Mama had magic, and Raine and Ophelia, and a lot of his other new friends did too. But not him. It wasn't fair.

Hawke watched her son brooding as he watched the others and couldn't help but feel a bit sad for him. It reminded her of Carver when they had been young and her and Bethany would practice with father. She knew he must feel very left out. Frowning, she considered what she might be able to do to make Leto feel more important.

She turned and headed into the house, seeking out an old dusty box of treasures. Rifling through it for a long moment, she finally found what she was looking for and pulled it out. It was well worn and marked with scratches from years of use but perfect for its task. Smiling to herself, Hawke closed the chest with a thud, the force causing a cloud of dust to form around her.

"Leto!" She called and waited for him to appear through the door.

He appeared moments later, a look of question in his eyes. She smiled at him. He was tall for his age, a similarity she thought his must share with his father at that age. His hair, the same dark red as her own, was tousled from playing outside. Tiny ears poked out from under his hair, they came to a point that wasn't nearly as distinct as other elves marking him as half. It was his eyes that always got to her though. Both of twins and had beautiful emerald eyes just like their father's.

"Yes mama?" He asked.

"I have something for you." She smiled as her eyes lit up.

She pulled out the small but long bundle wrapped in cloth and handed it to him. Carefully, Leto unwrapped the package to reveal a tiny sword. His eyes lit up in wonder as he inspected the gift. The metal shined in the light as he turned it over and gripped the hilt.

"Is it real?" He asked as he turned to look at her, a curious expression on his face.

Hawke giggled lightly, "It's for practice little one" she explained "Though it is dull and won't cut, it is real enough."

Leto mouthed an 'oh' as he continued to turn over his new sword. "Where did you get it mama?"

Her smile turned a little sad at that, Leto noticed.

"It was my brother's, your uncle's, when he was young. He was a little bit older than you when our father gave it to him. He wasn't a mage but he was very skilled with the sword." She said with pride in her voice.

"Really?" Leto said excitedly with a new determination in his gaze.

Nodding in affirmation, Hawke smiled as he threw his arms around her in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around the boy and held him to her tightly for a moment. One day her little boy wouldn't be so little anymore but for the time being she would enjoy the fact that he was right now. They would grow up and go on their own adventures someday. She wondered what sort of trouble her children were destined to get into; knowing that as Hawkes, they surely were destined for trouble.

"Thank you." He whispered as he pulled away and ran out the door, eager to show all of his friends.

Standing up, Hawke walked towards a window and peered out. Across the way she could see Leto showing his new sword to everyone. Yes, someday they would go out and seek trouble just as she had. And just as her father had, she would be sure they were prepared.

**XXX**

Hawke hummed quietly to herself. She was currently sitting in a cell at the bottom of ship. She kept her eyes closed as she concentrated on the back and forth motion of the waves. With a sigh, Hawke conceded that she had become decidedly less careful since living in the village. Perhaps she was bit overconfident as well.

The last part she had to laugh at. She opened her eyes and looked around the small space. Hawke knew her strengths and weaknesses very well. And if it weren't for the runes on her cell (and for the fact she was in the middle of the sea on ship full of Templars) she would have escaped days ago. Alas, her magic was heavily tempered within the confines of her jail. _Tempered but not gone_ she thought with a smirk. So Hawke found herself buying her time and planning her escape.

The thought of Templars no longer gave her cause for fear. She was stronger now and she had purpose. She had a family and village to look after. These fools would not keep her. Vaguely she wondered if they recognized her; carelessness once again creeping into her mind to taunt her.

Though Hawke traveled often, she never traveled too incredibly far from the village. Being that the twins were young and knowing how fleeting childhood was, Hawke never sought to spend more than a week away from her family. She usually went by foot or air. Her ability to shapeshift served her quite well as a means for fast travel.

_She was on her way to Cumberland again. Though she had flown the majority of the way, for the last stretch she had thought she might__ enjoy a__ walk. While she trudged along the path she discovered a man off to the side. He explained that his leg had been badly broken when his caravan was attacked by bandits. It wasn't until after Hawke had healed the man's leg and went to continue on her way, did she realize she had been lured into a trap. _

"_Has the Order fallen so far that they have been reduced to tricking kind mages in passing?" She'd said accusingly and eyed her adversaries. She was surrounded._

"_There is no such thing as__ a__ kind mage." One of the Templars had spit out. _

_Hawke silently contemplated her chances of escape. There were at least ten of them and only one of her. _

"_Very well. I give up." She had said holding up her hands. _

_At first the Templars only stared at her dumbfounded. She had to bite back a snicker at their looks. They were obviously waiting for some sort of trick. After a long moment of her standing there and them staring one of the Templars finally moved to approach her. _

_Hawke jumped into action then, shooting lighting at a Templar to her right while simultaneously throwing a fire ball at the one in front of her. The sound of laugh__ter__ danced through the air, they didn't have the power to cut her off from her magic, she was too strong._

_A Templar to her left charged with his sword in an attempt to cleave her. Hawke twisted to narrowly avoid the blade. Glaring at the offending Templar she allowed both of her hands to ignite in a curious blue flame._

"_What? Traps aren't funny when you're on the other end?" She taunted before sending a wave of the blue fire crashing towards him._

_The Templar that had charged her was engulfed by the fire. It licked at his skin like red hot barbs. Dropping to the ground, he began to roll back and forth furiously, but to no avail, the fire would not subside._

_She turned from the sight to look at the Templars standing in shock behind her. Once she turned to face them they seemed to recover and charged at her with their swords ready. As they came at her__,__ Hawke threw her no longer flaming hands towards the sky, as she did so earthen spikes shot from the ground. They impaled the men and as Hawke too turned from them, they were dragged beneath the earth. _

"_Five if I can count." She smirked deviously, eyeing the remaining Templars. _

_They attacked all at once hoping to overwhelm her. Hawke was prepared though. As soon as they made to advance she had her foot up, bringing it down in a harsh stomp. The ground shook beneath them and cracked in some places. Another two more Templars met their end in the ground._

"_Three." She said. _

_It wasn't until she felt a hard blow to the head, did Hawke realize she had forgotten about the man they'd used as bait. Her vision swam and blurred as she fell to the ground. That last thing she remembered was thinking how careless she'd been._

Humming again quietly to herself Hawke waited; she had been at sea for at least two days. No one had come by since her capture. They hadn't even fed her she thought grumpily. She wondered if perhaps they meant for her to starve when she suddenly heard the thudding of heavy footfalls.

She realized it was the same Templar that had spoken to her before. Studying him through bored eyes she admitted he was fairly handsome. He had short brown hair and stormy blue eyes. His complexion was on the paler side and his face was only slightly round. He was young and Hawke got the feeling that he didn't really want to be there. It was almost a shame she'd have to kill him. Almost.

"What's your name?" She asked, only just noticing the tray of food in his hand.

"Don't see how that matters." His voice was gruff as he replied.

Hawke smiled, not deterred. "I suppose it doesn't. It is polite though, isn't it?"

He sighed "It's Rory." Then without another word he turned and left.

Rory returned the next morning to deliver her breakfast. It was the same as dinner had been the night before; stale bread and water. After having been starved for at least two days, Hawke had been far too hungry to care the night before. Now she picked at the bread as Rory stared at her idly from the other side of the bars. She almost thought he wouldn't say anything but he didn't leave her waiting for long.

"What's _your_ name?" He said finally.

Hawke lifted her head and flashed him a brilliant smile. The same smile she used to win over all of her friends. "I'm Marian." She had chosen not to use her surname the night before. She was already a captured mage; she certainly didn't need them to know who she really was.

"Marian." He repeated.

Hawke nodded.

"It is a… nice name." He said awkwardly.

Hawke smiled again—she could already tell he was falling for her charm.

"Thank you." She responded politely.

After a moment of silence Hawke spoke again. "You're wrong about mages, you know."

His face scrunched up at the notion and he snorted. Hawke was never one to be discouraged though and continued.

"I healed the man in your trap out of the kindness of my heart Rory. You attacked me, I only defended myself." She said without looking at him. She could tell he felt uncomfortable.

"You were the first person that stopped." He admitted finally.

"I am a kind mage." Her eyes found his again and he couldn't help but feel the truth in her words.

"It doesn't matter though." He said gruffly, shaking his head. "Mages need to be kept within the circle. For their own safety." With that he stormed out. But Hawke could hear in his tone that he didn't quite believe that.

Later that night, well after the sun had set and the moons had risen, Rory returned with her dinner. Hawke wasn't at all surprised to see that it was again stale bread and water. As he slid the tray into her cell, Hawke met his eyes and smiled kindly.

"Hello Rory, how was your day?"

He gave a frustrated sigh. "Why… why do you keep trying to make idle conversation with me? You know it will change nothing."

Hawke's smile did not falter. So it came to be that every time he delivered her "meal" she would try to make conversation him. And after only a couple days Rory found himself eventually talking back.

They had been at sea for at least a week when Hawke decided to bring up her family.

"Did you know that I have a family Rory?" she said suddenly.

Rory didn't respond, choosing instead to wait for her to continue.

"I've never been away for more than a week. They'll start to worry soon." She had turned to look out the tiny porthole.

"Why are you telling me this?" He finally said. "Are you warning me that they're going to come for you?"

Hawke laughed then. It was light and soothing. It reminded him of a time when life was much more simple. Before he'd lost everything and before he'd joined the order to make ends meet, back to a time when he'd just been a simple farmer's son.

"No, they will not come." She said, and though her voice was still light, he detected a note of seriousness in it, "I'm saying I will not _stay_."

"There's no way you could possibly escape." Rory replied.

At that moment, the ship seemed to jerk. Suddenly both Hawke and Rory could make out sounds of turmoil going on above them. Someone shouted the word pirates and Rory shifted into motion, drawing his sword.

He hadn't taken more than two steps when he found himself stopped mid run. Feeling magic in the air he looked towards his feet expecting to see a paralysis glyph. Shocked to find none he turned his wide eyes on the girl inside the cell, disbelief painted his face. The cell should have prevented any magic, she didn't even have hands up… How can she stop him without a glyph?

"If you go out there you'll die Rory." Her expression was grim and almost… worried? He couldn't tell.

"If I don't go we'll all die." He said firmly.

Hawke looked away and broke the connection releasing him. He stumbled slightly forward before catching himself. Then taking one last look at her he ascended the stairs to aid his brothers in combat.

She paced around her cell, listening to the battle going on above her, deciding whether or not she should help. The problem was that she didn't know what side she'd rather be on. With a frustrated sigh, Hawke decided it didn't matter as long she got back to her family. Determined, she turned towards the cell door.

Gathering as much magic as she could within the confines of the mana stealing cell, Hawke unleashed a blast of energy at the cell door. It rattled under the strain but held true. Unwilling to give up and admit defeat, she tried again. This time the door gave way with 'pop.' She wasted no time in hurrying up the stairs to the sounds of metal clashing against metal.

Throwing the door open, she strode atop the deck knowing the Templars would be too busy and too confused to bother with her. Her eyes scanned the fray trying to find Rory. The young Templar had become a friend in her short incarceration. Her eyes finally landed on his form locked in combat on the other side of the ship when a loosely familiar voice called out over the mass of people.

"Leave no survivors boys! Let's show this lot whose really on top."

The words had barely registered in her mind when she saw twin daggers speared suddenly into Rory's chest. She was moving then and vaguely she recognized her own voice screaming as she ran across the deck. Crying out, the rogue turned stunned eyes on her. Unable to contain her anger, Hawke flung her arm out in a sweeping motion sending the pirate flying across the ship deck by sheer force. She fell at the Rory's side—kneeling in a pool of his blood, taking in the multiple lacerations and the two fatal wounds—grabbing his hand. She didn't notice the tears running down her face as she desperately called his name.

Rory fell backwards in a pool of blood as the rogue pulled the daggers out of his chest. It hurt. Maker it hurt so badly. He felt like he was drowning in blood even as he felt it seeping on to the wooden deck beneath him. Suddenly _she_ was there grabbing his hand. She was saying something but he couldn't understand her.

"You… you escaped." He coughed out spraying blood onto her face as he stared at her wonder.

"You're gonna be okay." He thought he heard her say. Her hand was shaking.

Hawke's hands lit up as they hovered over him. Healing was definitely not her strong suit but it had to work. _It has to work._ She repeated like a mantra in her mind.

"It's not working!" She howled miserably.

"It's cold Marian."

Hawke pulled him to her and held him close, his head cradled against his chest. She rocked back and forth unsteadily as tears streamed down her cheeks. Sticky red blood soaked her dress making it cling to her skin. Images of Carver in the Deep Roads flooded her mind.

_No no no no no no! This can't be happening! Somebody help me! _She cried.

"Do you see him Marian?" Rory whispered. "Maker, he's beautiful… the light…" His eyes slowly fell shut.

Suddenly a voice whispered in her mind. _Try harder little one, I believe in you. _

_Father..?_

With an unexpected new found strength, Hawke pooled more healing power than she'd ever been able to accomplish before in to her hands. Slowly, both she and Rory were enveloped in soft blue glow.

_It's warm… _He remembered thinking. _She came for me… I was wrong about mages._ It was a shame it took dying to learn.

Rory opened his eyes and blinked them sluggishly. Shouldn't he be dead? He glanced around carefully before finally landing on the face hovering over him.

"You healed me?" He said astonished as he sat up shakily.

Hawke let him go and wiped the remaining tears from her face, looking strangely childish. She didn't trust her voice, her throat feeling hoarse, and instead chose to nod.

"Incredible…"

"I don't wanna break up the party but…" A new voice broke in.

Hawke turned startled, "Isabela?"

**XXX**

"I can't believe you got captured by this ragamuffin Templar Hawke!" Isabela laughed.

"Hey!" Rory huffed indignantly.

They were sitting in the captain's cabin of Isabela's ship as Hawke recounted her tale of capture. Isabela was passing around a bottle of finely aged Antivan Brandy, that she insisted she had been saving for a special occasion. She couldn't help but notice how much Hawke had changed in appearance alone.

Her dark red hair flowed freely down her back, stopping in the middle. It was a look completely unfamiliar to her. Hawke had always insisted on keeping her hair no longer than shoulder length before, and usually never even let it that long. There was more age and wisdom in her deep brown eyes. The kind of look one only got from experiencing a lot of life. Even her face, which still held a youthful look, appeared to hold more wisdom and experience in it. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of woman and mother Hawke had become.

The she glanced over at Rory, who was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He was younger than Hawke she noticed, but only by a few years. Isabela wondered to herself why he'd even become a Templar as he certainly didn't look the type.

"So, tell me all about what you've been up to Hawke... Or should I say Marian?" She snickered sending a wink in Rory's direction.

Hawke stuck her tongue out at the pirate with "mneh!" Before getting into that particular story. Rory listened intently. Curiosity and astonishment showing on his face as he stared in what could only be described as wonder at his new found mage friend. Everything about the woman before him seemed to amaze him.

When Hawke got to the part about her village she couldn't help but pause and look cautiously over at him. He had been a Templar after all. Was he still now? Did he even want to be anymore? How else would he make a living he wondered.

"Rory!"

He was suddenly pulled from his reverie. "Wh-what?" He said, shaking his had clear.

Isabela laughed at the confused and dazed look at his face. He looked so innocent just then. Definitely not Templar material, she thought.

"What's your plan now?" Marian asked. But the way she spoke made him think she'd asked the question several times already when he wasn't paying attention.

"Plans? Well... I don't know. I don't think I can go back as the only survivor... I don't think I even want to." He said thoughtfully.

"Why did you even join the order? You don't look like the type." Isabela piped in, finally voicing her thoughts.

Rory sighed. "Honestly, I joined because I needed the money. The pay was meager but they fed you. I never had anything against mages. I was simple farmer's son living a simple, peaceful life until the Blight. I lost everything. I had nowhere to turn."

Isabela nodded her head in understanding and went to offer him a place on her crew, when suddenly Hawke spoke up. "I can offer you a new life, you know. You could have a... Semi peaceful life again."

"If the order knew I was alive, they'd surely come after me." He said with frown.

"They don't have to know. You could come back to my village with me. I'll show you a world you've never even dreamed of." Hawke said with a smile.

"Just what kind of village is this Hawke?" Isabela asked.

She'd never forget the look in Hawke's eyes as she turned and answered her. "A free one."

"Freedom." Mumbled Rory thoughtfully.

"Freedom." Hawke said with conviction. "All you have to do is help me protect that freedom should the need ever arise. Can I trust you?"

Rory smiled then, a smile Hawke had never seen on him before. The kind of smile she imagined he used to have before becoming a templar. "A protector of freedom? I'd like that."

"Are you even going to tell me where this village is?" Isabela chimed in suddenly, false annoyance lacing her voice.

Hawke laughed then, "just head towards Orlais." Was all the direction she'd give the pirate. It wasn't because she didn't trust her friend. She'd told Merrill the location and she'd admit only to herself she probably trusted Isabela just a tad more. But because she knew Isabela- she'd never leave the sea long enough to visit that far inland.

Isabela huffed and crossed her arms but smiled lightly at her friend. "You're lucky I love you." She grumbled.

"Gasp!" Hawke put her hand over her mouth mockingly, "Did the great Captain Isabela just the L word?"

Isabela laughed then, a full and hardy belly laugh. "I wouldn't dream of it."

As Rory glanced between the pirate and the mage, he couldn't help but wonder just what kind of shenanigans he'd signed up for. A peaceful life maybe, but uneventful he doubted. He smiled to himself then- he looked forward to it.

It was well after high noon the next day when Hawke announced her impending departure. Isabela and Rory looked between each other and her, then at the surround ocean around them confused. There was no land to be seen and they were miles from any port, let alone Orlais. Isabela knew Hawke was crazy but swimming to shore? That was plain suicidal.

"Hawke, we've set course for Orlais. We'll be there within a week or so." Said Isabela.

"Surely you don't mean to swim." Rory piped in. "There's not a speck of land to be seen."

Giggles spilled from Hawke's lips as she glanced at the two of them. The careful and confused expression on their faces were nearly enough to send her into full out laughter. Just as she did with Merrill, she couldn't help but take this opportunity to surprise her long time friend, as well her new one.

She turned away from them and spread her arms out taking in the salty sea breeze and the warm kiss of the sun on her skin. "Swim? No... I intend to fly."

Then before either party could grasp at her words, in a flash of light she was gone. Both Isabela and Rory ran to the spot she had previously been standing it. There wasn't the faintest trace that she'd even been there. If they hadn't seen it for themselves they'd have passed the story off as nothing more than a sailor's fairy tale. It was Rory who thought to glance towards the sky, inklings of teachings during Templar training echoing through his mind.

"Look!" He pointed. There, circling above them in the sky, was a single red hawk.

"Is that..." Said Isabela in disbelief.

"Amazing." Whispered Rory.

Even as the hawk soared away far out of the sight, they looked on wonder. Isabela wondering just how far her friend had come since their last meeting. Rory wondering what kind of life he had in store. Both with smiles on their faces.

**XXX**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone still following this story! I know it's been a long time since I've updated but it's never been far from my mind. I've been struggling with the longest most painful writers block but I hope this long chapter will make up for it somewhat. I apologize for no Fenris in this chapter, but I promise next chapter will be all about him! It won't be too long until our favourite pair will find themselves together again and boy do I look forward to that! I've really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much! I love you all!**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated and if there are any spelling/grammar errors(I'm sure there are even though I've read this 1000x times over) please let me know.**


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